


Moonrise

by zenelly



Series: Natsume Yuujinchou Week 2016 [6]
Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen, look hinoe is a babe okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-08-20 02:28:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8232925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenelly/pseuds/zenelly
Summary: Written for Natsume Yuujinchou Week 2016! Day 6: "Favorite Side Character"

  The moon rises high in the sky tonight, lifted up by the eternal Tsuki-Yomi, and Hinoe tracks its progress by the line of smoke rising from their pipe, free hand tucked into their sleeve.





	

**Author's Note:**

> okay small note here. In the very first episode, Nyanko-sensei makes a point to mention that youkai don't tend to particularly concern themselves with gender, so all of the youkai IMO use neutral pronouns to refer to themselves. I'd have to watch through some of the series again to see if this is true, but for the sake of this fic, it is. *throws confetti*

The moon rises high in the sky tonight, lifted up by the eternal Tsuki-Yomi, and Hinoe tracks its progress by the line of smoke rising from their pipe, free hand tucked into their sleeve.

In their lap, Natsume sleeps.

Natsume, Natsume.

A boy now, but a breathtakingly beautiful woman before, when they were fiery and full of life, closer to their world, the Yokai, than they were to the stinking humans. Hinoe’s mouth curls at the thought, at the mere idea of how poorly Natsume had been treated before. Not that it’s that much different now, they think, hand stroking through shining golden hair. Natsume still reeks of nightmares.

They’re fading away now, at least. Replaced by the gentleness that permutes his entire being.

It’s interesting.

It’s the first thing that’s been interesting since Reiko. And that though gets exhaled into a line of smoke, Hinoe tilting their head back to blow it away from Natsume’s face. He’s such a kind boy. Determined to get his nose stuck where it doesn’t belong, all for the sake of helping.

Such a darling, sweet boy, really. And so cute. It almost makes up for the  _ boy _ part.

“Hinoe,” a deep voice rumbles, and they look up to meet the wide, encircled eye of Misuzu. “How is he?”

“Sleeping still,” Hinoe says, threading their fingers through Natsume’s hair. “That ayakashi managed to land quite the blow on his stamina. Madara?”

Misuzu grumbles, settling a large hoof on the ground. “Chasing. I think Madara almost has them, though. Shouldn’t be long before Natsume-dono wakes up.”

Hinoe huffs. They tug gently at Natsume’s hair, chiding him even while he sleeps, though immediately, they soothe the ache with more soft touches. “You need to stop getting yourself in trouble,” they say, painted lips forming a moue of a pout. “Natsume, you should call on us more often. Your bodyguard is useless, after all.”

“It’s his decision to make,” Misuzu says.

“But what a shame that he has our names and never calls? He’s just as bad as Reiko, honestly.”

A large muzzle draws level with where Hinoe sits, and Misuzu regards them for a moment before blowing warm air at them. “He is not,” Misuzu murmurs, his grin as wide as always. One of his ears swings back, forth, and Hinoe blows smoke into his breath, a trade for a trade. “I have seen him far more than I have seen Reiko.”

And isn’t that the sad truth.

But for now, Hinoe just sighs and waits for golden eyes to open, so he can regard them with slit pupiled eyes more like those of the ayakashi than of the humans, so he can be upset by all of them getting involved in helping him. So they can smile at him once more and see his gentle glow and love him, even if from a distance.


End file.
